Chickpea Group to open 10th pub-with-rooms with first Hampshire site
Pubs with rooms specialist Chickpea Group will open its 10th pub-with-rooms next month and also make its debut in Hampshire.
Casual Dining
Cosy Club to make London debut
Loungers will bring its more formal restaurant and cocktail bar concept, Cosy Club, to London later this year after securing a site at Westfield Stratford City.
Ottolenghi to open Scotland restaurant
Yotam Ottolenghi is crossing the border to Scotland for his eleventh UK venue.
Bunsik chooses the South Coast for its 10th restaurant as franchise model grows
Korean street food brand Bunsik will hit double figures later this month with the opening of a restaurant in Southampton.
Latest opening: Café Jikoni
The all-day cafe that promises ‘restorative hospitality’ and ‘cooking across borders’ has opened in Stratford.
Comptoir Group reduces its losses as cost efficiencies take effect
Comptoir Group says operational efficiencies and a push for covers has helped decrease its losses in its current financial year.
Hospitality insolvencies on the rise as tax burden increases and dip in consumer confidence takes hold
The number of accommodation and foodservice businesses entering insolvency increased by 22% month-on-month, according to the latest figures.
MEATliquor appoints administrators
MEATliquor has officially appointed administrators, having closed more than half of its restaurant estate.
Franco Manca to close 16 sites under CVA
Fulham Shore is to launch a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) this week for its pizza brand Franco Manca that will result in around 16 of its 70 UK restaurants closing.
Naked ambition: inside the return of Jamie’s Italian
With the relaunch of Jamie’s Italian in the UK, Brava Hospitality Group and Jamie Oliver Restaurants are attempting to pull off one of the biggest gambles in the history of hospitality.
Comment
The deal for Caring’s empire is a game changer for hospitality
The £1.4bn price tag for The Ivy Collection is an eye-watering number, but the potential rewards are just as eye-watering.
Richard Caring sells majority stake in the Ivy Collection and other brands for £1.4bn
Richard Caring has sold a majority stake in the Ivy Collection and the rest of his restaurant and private members’ club empire in a deal worth £1.4bn to DIAFA, an affiliate of Abu Dhabi-owned holding company IHC Group.
Jolene announces new opening with Soho bakery and coffee shop
London bakery and restaurant Jolene will open a new site on Bridle Lane in Soho later this month.
Mission Mars reports strong progress as Rudy’s expansion continues
The group behind the Albert’s Schloss and Rudy’s pizza brands has reported positive half-year results as it looks to continue expansion across the UK.
Young’s buys Cubitt House’s group of pubs
Young’s has acquired Cubitt House London Pubs in a deal worth around £30m.
Shrimp & Co opens fourth restaurant
Casual seafood brand Shrimp & Co has opened its fourth site in less than 12 months.
Vagabond to open flagship site in Soho
Wine bar group Vagabond has announced that it will open a flagship site on Soho’s Ganton Street this summer.
Detroit pizza restaurant Jacks Pizza to open in Brighton
Detroit-style pizza restaurant Jacks Pizza is set to open in Brighton later this month.
April 1st no laughing matter as cost increases force job cuts and closures
More than half of hospitality businesses will cut jobs and cancel their investment plans as a result of increases in employment costs and business rates that come into force today (1 April).
My Delhi heads to Leeds for fourth site
Indian restaurant group My Delhi will make its Yorkshire debut later this year for its fourth restaurant.
Rum Kitchen returns under new ownership
Rum Kitchen is returning to the UK high street after being acquired by The Rhumshack Group, the owner of London’s longest-running Caribbean restaurant brand, Cottons.
James Cochran’s Around the Cluck brand returns with pub residency
Chef James Cochran has revived his fried chicken concept Around the Cluck with a pub residency at the Old Fountain in Shoreditch.
The Evolv Collection brings its Tavern brand to Birmingham
The Evolv Collection will open Stories Tavern in Birmingham this April as the latest addition to its rapidly growing Chop House & Tavern portfolio.
Patty & Bun closes all but two bricks-and-mortar sites
Better burger brand Patty & Bun has closed four of its London restaurants, including its original site on Marylebone’s James Street.
MEATliquor shutters bulk of estate
MEATliquor has closed more than half of its eight-strong estate following an apparent restructuring of the business.
Analysis finds most major restaurant chains exceed 95% top hygiene ratings
New analysis has revealed that the vast majority of major restaurant brands are rated either ‘good’ or ‘very good’ for hygiene.
Hawksmoor to continue US expansion with Boston restaurant
Steakhouse group Hawksmoor has announced plans to open a new site in Boston later this year.
Just Eat and Pasta Evangelists among businesses being investigated in reviews probe
Just Eat and Pasta Evangelists are among a number of businesses facing investigation from the UK’s competition watchdog as part of a probe into fake and misleading online reviews.
Restaurant delivery boosted at-home sales in February
New delivery offers helped restaurants to strong at-home sales growth in February despite a sharp drop in takeaways, new data shows.
Sadiq Khan aiming for London’s ‘biggest ever summer for al fresco dining’ as Summer Streets returns
The Mayor of London’s ‘Summer Streets’ fund will return to the capital for a second year, in a bid to boost its bars, cafes, hospitality and nightlife economy.
Cue Point to mark its decade with first permanent site
Afghan-Texan barbecue brand Cue Point will open its first permanent home next month as founders Mursal Saiq and Joshua Moroney mark a decade since launching the business.
Bill’s teams up with ‘Potato Queen’ Poppy O’Toole for 25th anniversary limited edition menu
Bill’s has partnered with chef and social media creator Poppy O’Toole to launch a limited-edition menu as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.
Inception Group to enter competitive socialising space
Inception Group is making its first move into the competitive socialising space with its new Mr Fogg’s Games Parlour concept.
P-Three appointed to restart Wahaca’s UK expansion
Retail, leisure and placemaking agency P-Three has been tasked with sourcing new sites for Wahaca as the brand looks to return to growth across the UK.
Cosmo spin-off brand Umami to open at Gloucester Quays
Cosmo Restaurant Group is bringing its spin-off concept, Umami, to Cotswolds designer outlet Gloucester Quays.
Côte launches French only online wine shop
Côte Brasserie has expanded its online offer with the launch of a wine shop dedicated to France’s vineyards and winemaking heritage.
Comment
Why hospitality keeps moving - even as the world grows more uncertain
The industry is facing some strong headwinds, but the sector’s ability to continue progressing is striking.
Prezzo Italian’s family dining subscription earns 4,000 signups in first month
Prezzo Italian’s family dining subscription, which entitles up to three children to a free three-course meal with an adult main purchase, has had 4,000 signups in its first month.
Soho’s Shackfuyu to revert to Bone Daddies format, marking the end of ‘London’s longest pop-up’
Japanese restaurant Shackfuyu will close after more than a decade with its owner converting it into its Bone Daddies format.
Devinder Singh to open second Indian/Italian fusion restaurant
A restaurant that fuses Indian flavours and Neapolitan pizza will open it second site next month.
Flat Iron to make its Scotland debut next year
Flat Iron is continuing to sweep northwards with the opening next year of its first site in Scotland.
Sticks’n’Sushi continues northern expansion with upcoming Leeds restaurant
Danish restaurant group Sticks’n’Sushi is set to open its second northern England restaurant on Vicar Lane in Leeds early next year, subject to planning.
“Your policies are a dagger to our heart”: Thaikun shuts Cambridge restaurant
Thai Leisure Group has closed its Thaikun site in Cambridge, with managing director Ian Leigh blaming the move on government policy in a strongly worded statement aimed squarely at Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
The Beefy Boys heads north with Nottingham restaurant
The Beefy Boys will open its most northerly restaurant next month with a site in Nottingham.
Crust brothers: Pizza Pilgrims teams up with well-known restaurant brands to get the nation dipping
Pizza Pilgrims is teaming up with restaurant brands Dishoom, Honest Burgers, Pho and Sweet Dee’s Jerk to launch a limited-edition pizza crust dipper menu.
The Walcot Group to open second Solina restaurant
Family owned restaurant business The Walcot Group is opening a second site of its neighbourhood pasta brand Solina.
Hospitality to be hit by spring tube strikes
A fresh wave of tube strikes starting from this month threatens to derail the hospitality sector’s hopes for a positive spring and could be devastating for operators it has been warned.
Laura Harper-Hinton named Leader of the Year at MCA Hospitality Awards
Caravan CEO and co-founder Laura Harper-Hinton picked up one of the top awards at last night’s MCA Hospitality Awards.
The Wolseley to open in New York
The Wolseley Hospitality Group is crossing the pond to open its first Wolseley-branded hotel in New York.
Blue Lagoon to open first restaurant across the border
Scottish-based family-run fish and chip shop business Blue Lagoon is crossing the border for its first restaurant in England.